In the novel Doing the E.T. Tango: Dancing with the Universe, there are several visits to Cody, Wyoming. Cody is a popular destination for tourists and local residents because of the larger stores, restaurants and spots of interest. It is one of the largest towns in the Big Horn Basin and is within 1-2 hour drive of the other small towns in the area. This makes it a convenient place to go and shop for items that can be obtained in the smaller locations. Because it does take a drive to get over there many local residents will make a day of their visit, have lunch and do as much shopping as they can. Because of the open prairies between most small towns and Cody it can be a quick drive for those who are not worried about a stop by the highway patrol or small town police.
Tourists enjoystopping in Cody when they are traveling to and from Yellowstone National Park. The city was named for Buffalo Bill Cody after his part in getting the town started. Because of this history there is an amateur rodeo every night in the summer and a professional rodeo, the Cody Stampede, over the Independence Day holiday. There is also the Buffalo Bill Historical Center which houses five museums. The museums are focused on the history of the west and the different aspects such as Native Americans, Natural History and of course a museum for William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill Cody. Buffalo BIll Cody's Hotel, The Irma, is located in downtown Cody and is a popular place to stop for dinner or to stay in one of the rooms in the historic inn. The hotel was built in 1902 and it was named for Cody's daughter.
Cody's location is at the edge of Shoshone canyon which provides the only access to the east gate of Yellowstone. For those who would like a more scenic drive, going north towards Powell and then west on Chief Joseph highway will take you to the northeast gate of Yellowstone through the Absaroka-Beartooth wilderness area. In the summer months, both routes are open and offer beautiful views of the national forests that surround Yellowstone. In the winter both entrances are closed to Cody due to the heavy snowfall but visitors can still stay at lodges in the area and snowmobile into the park.
Ellen often travels to Cody during the story in order to get a taste of the big city. While she enjoys the wide open spaces there are times when she wants to do shopping and see some different faces than those on the farm. She also goes on dates with Sergeant Sutherland and samples the night life Cody. Cody provides a natural backdrop for various activities for the characters in Doing the E.T. Tango: Dancing with the Universe.
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